Regina Pats centre Jake Leschyshyn is basically the same player he was last season — only better.

With a year of growth and experience under his belt, the 17-year-old centre is a more mature and WHL-savvy version of the guy who flew under the radar during a solid rookie campaign.

The transformation is apparent in Leschyshyn’s stat line, where he’s currently tied for second on the team with seven goals and 16 points in 13 games.

He posted identical numbers last season — over 66 games.

“Last year I definitely played some great games but in a lot of them I didn’t come out with any points,” noted Leschyshyn, whose team faces the Kootenay Ice on Wednesday night at the Brandt Centre. “I’m still the same player. (But) I feel like I’m stronger and faster now. I’m definitely more confident with the puck. I’m able to hold onto it more rather than just chip it in and go get it.

“The confidence is (higher) than it was last year for sure.”

Leschyshyn got off to a fast start this season, notching four goals and 10 points in six games while No. 1 centre Adam Brooks was away at camp with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was a glimpse into the not-too-distant future for the Pats, who will lose Brooks permanently next season. That’ll make Sam Steel the new first-line centre, followed by Leschyshyn at No. 2.

“There will be more opportunity, more ice-time,” noted head coach/GM John Paddock. “It’ll be one of those things that should go along as you expect a junior career to go alone. Jake is just going to continue growing. The players we put with him will help him grow and the team’s success will help him grow.”

As expected, Leschyshyn’s offence has dropped off a little since Brooks returned.

That said, he has still maintained a solid rate of production on the third unit, recording three goals and six points in the past seven outings.

Leschyshyn also remains a key member of Regina’s No. 2 power-play unit.

“Not too much has changed for me,” he noted. “With this team we’re able to roll most of our lines so I’m still getting the opportunities that I was before. Although I may not be slotted in that first- or second-line position, I’m still getting the ice-time I was getting before.”

Regardless of his spot on the depth chat, one of Leschyshyn’s objectives this season is to be more consistent. He has the raw ability and work ethic to make it happen. It’s just a matter of letting nature run its course.

“Last year I went on some slumps scoring-wise,” said Leschyshyn, the sixth-overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft. “This year I want to get rid of that. In order to do that I have to keep playing the way I am right now and not get stats all caught up in my head.”

Paddock has often raved about Leschyshyn’s hockey IQ. It’s one of the reasons he has earned a prominent special-teams role at such a young age and is trusted to go up against other teams’ top lines, along with wingers Lane Zablocki and Rykr Cole.

“We don’t care about the matchup a lot of times,” said Paddock. “We don’t have a checking line but I think we have lines that can play against just about every team’s best line. If it’s Leschyshyn, that’s fine. I expect him to do the job.”

EXTRAS: Steel has been named the WHL player of the month after recording 10 goals and 22 points in 11 games during October. Since returning from the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, Steel has helped Regina go 9-0-2 … Logan Flodell of the Saskatoon Blades is the WHL goalie of the month. The Regina native posted a 6-3-0 record with a 1.99 GAA, .940 save percentage and two shutouts after being acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds.

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